


An Unexpected Delivery

by booklover1999



Category: Holby City
Genre: Baby, Child, Cute, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, dilemma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-10-08 22:37:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10397724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booklover1999/pseuds/booklover1999
Summary: After a lunch time stroll on a rare day off, Bernie and Serena come home to an unexpected delivery... General cuteness I suppose, and my first AO3 fic!





	1. Chapter 1

"Bernie..."  
"Mmm?" Bernie looked up from her phone as she felt Serena stop walking beside her. Their intertwined fingers broke apart as the blonde tried to figure out what was wrong. Serena was staring at the front step to their house, where there was a large black seat sat waiting for them.  
"Is that?..." Bernie's voice trailed off as she moved closer, peering over the hood and finding two big brown eyes staring up at her.  
"Oh my god it's a baby."  
The two women, unsure of what to do, froze. All they'd wanted was a relaxing stroll round the sunny park and an ice cream on their day off work together. They wanted to spend the day in relative peace enjoying the summer sun, away from the hospital, together.  
Alone, preferably.  
"We should take, um, her-him-it, um, to the station..." Bernie murmured, tentatively moving towards the step.  
"Her." She confirmed, looking back at her girlfriend who jumped when the baby started to screech.  
"Good Lord, she's got a good set of lungs on her." Serena raised an eyebrow before sighing. "Come on, let's sort her out first, she probably wants some milk or something."  
Bernie unlocked the door and they both entered, Serena holding the baby carrier. Bernie dumped the keys on the table before joining Serena in the living room.  
"Now you, what's all that noise about hm?" The brunette smiled, unclipping the straps and lifting the baby out onto her knee, jigging her up and down. "You can't be more than 8 months old can you?"  
"Um, Serena there's a note..." Bernie met her gaze as it fell upon a crumpled piece of paper the baby had been laid on. Bernie opened it and read aloud the scrawly handwriting.  
"Dear number 64,  
I found this baby by the side of the road earlier, no sign of the guardian. I was waiting for you both to come home but I had an urgent hospital appointment so had to leave her. I know you're both medics so she would be in safe hands. Sorry for abandoning her.  
-A concerned citizen."  
"You're joking." The baby had quietened and Serena had stopped moving, instead she was staring at Bernie with wide, angry eyes. "She's been abandoned not once, but twice today?!"  
"Appears so."  
"Disgraceful. Utterly disgraceful."  
"I know but we need to get over that. Now she's quiet she needs to be checked over."  
Ever the voice of reason in these bizarre situations, Bernie looked back at Serena, her face soft. "Do you want to do it or shall I?"  
"I'll let you do it, I'll go ring the police." Serena stood and handed her to Bernie before leaving the room. Gently the blonde laid her down on the sofa, a cushion tucked slightly under her head, and gave her a tea coaster to play with whilst the medic knelt down and checked her limbs for damage. Her head was fine, except for a slightly snotty nose, and her arms and legs seemed to be in good working order. Her torso was slightly red, but Bernie expected that was because it was so warm.  
"You're a cute one aren't you." Bernie smiled as the little girl giggled, her face lighting up. Her brown eyes were watching the woman with wonder, accompanied by a button nose and rosy cheeks, with lips the shade of peonies and fine locks the colour of their oak table.  
"Gah!" She gurgled, trying to give Bernie the coaster she was clutching.  
"Oh! Is this for me?!" She feigned surprise and took the small piece of wood. "Thank you very much."  
Putting the coaster back down on the table, she got up from the floor and sat on the sofa next to the child, before picking her up and sitting her on her knees. Gently holding one hand in each of hers, Bernie began to jiggle her knees has Serena had done.  
"Diddly-um diddly-um diddly-um um um-" she began, watching the baby's face light up. "Diddly-um diddly-um diddly-um diddly-um diddly-uuuuum-" she paused, knees raised, before quickly letting them fall again, "-diddly-um um um!"  
The girl dissolved into giggles, prompting Bernie to laugh too at her amusement.  
"That is possibly the cutest sight I have ever seen."  
A voice from the door took Bernie by surprise- she had forgotten Serena was in the house. She was stood leaning against the door frame, phone in one hand and a tea for Bernie in the other.  
"Cam used to love it when he was little." Bernie smiled.  
"So did Elinor. Though I said giddy-up not diddly-um." Serena came to sit with them, putting Bernie's tea on the coaster. She pulled the baby's little pink cardigan down over her pleated skirt.  
"What did the police say?"  
"I rang 101, I figured it wasn't really an emergency. They said if she's not hurt then they'll contact social services and get back to me."  
"She's absolutely fine, a bit warm but it is the height of summer. Any idea how long social services will take?"  
"Yes, well, that's the thing. They said it could be 8pm tonight until we hear from them." Serena rolled her eyes.  
"Oh. Right, okay. We can manage until then right? I mean it's only 7 hours. Though if we are looking after her until then, she'll need a name."  
"I asked about that. They said there aren't any children her age reported missing which I expected, so the woman I spoke to said to name her. If it turns out she already has a name she'll be too young to be confused about it, and if not, at least she'll finally get one."  
"Okay. Well, um- what are you thinking?"  
"I-I don't know, really. I was hoping you'd have some ideas."  
They both looked at the little girl who was messing with Bernie's bracelet.  
"Millie?" Bernie suggested. Serena instantly wrinkled her nose.  
"Like the cookies? No. That would be like calling her Subway or KFC. No, something cute but... sophisticated."  
Silence again.  
"Beatrice?"  
Bernie shook her head.  
"I had an aunt Beatrice once. She always smelt of cheese and made me kiss her nose each time I saw her. Something else. What about... Alice?"  
Serena considered it. "Alice... I like that. Alice Campbell-Wolfe."  
Bernie chose that moment to take a sip of the tea Serena had brought in, and at the sound of the name she spluttered, coughing until she got it out of her system.  
"Alice Campbell-Wolfe? But she's not our daughter!"  
"Yes I know that Berenice." Serena rolled her eyes. "But if she doesn't have a first name then she doesn't have a surname either does she?"  
"Oh, yeah- good point actually. Still, Campbell-Wolfe? Really? She sounds like a descendant of the royal family. Can't she be called something less...pompous?"  
"Charming."  
Now it was Bernie's turn to roll her eyes.  
"Give over. What about naming her after the street she was found on, Cartwright Grove? Alice Cartwright sounds much better."  
"Well I think she sounds much better with my name in there but; if you insist..." Serena winked, before smiling widely at Alice who reached out for her.  
"Now little lady, what are we going to do with you?"


	2. Chapter 2

Serena stood and picked the little girl up, just as her bottom lip began to wobble.  
"Oh goodie." She muttered as Alice began to bawl, her face reddening with each passing second. Bernie winced at the sheer volume of the sound and stood by nervously.  
"What do you think she wants?" The blonde asked slightly nervously, watching Serena as she started to sway from side to side in an attempt to appease the child.  
"With a baby? Lord only knows. Hush yourself now." Serena addressed the girl in her arms, "I'm sure there is absolutely no need for this racket. Are you hungry? Is that it?"   
The brunette tentatively nudged her lips with the crook of her little finger, to see if she'd latch on and suck. Alice seemed interested at first, but when she realised it wasn't actually a bottle she turned away and started thrashing about. Serena could see little beads of sweat forming on her forehead.  
"Aha, I thought so. First things first lets strip you off a layer, I don't think overheating in this cardigan is helping things..."   
All the while Bernie stood and watched her girlfriend, feeling slightly out of her comfort zone. When Cam and Charlotte were babies it was usually Marcus who saw to them, or a nanny if his shifts were odd. After both pregnancies Bernie spent most of her time trying to get back into shape, going to the gym four times a week and spending her days with her squad at base. Marcus was always the one to wipe their noses, quieten their crying, change their nappies, do midnight feeds with the formula milk...  
Snapping out of her thoughts, Bernie cleared her throat.  
"Um, Serena I've just had a thought- we don't have any nappies or anything for her. Or baby milk, if she is hungry."  
"Good point. Looks like a shopping trip is in order darling- fancy a trip to the Co-Op?"  
...  
20 minutes later and the couple were walking down the baby isle of Sainsbury's, after discovering their local Co-Op was having maintenance work done on the roof. Alice had screamed blue murder when Serena had tried to put her in the car, because it turns out that the seat she was left in was actually the most complicated contraption in the whole of human history. It wasn't until Bernie took a look that the little girl finally got safely strapped in. Serena had collapsed into the drivers seat, red faced with ruffled hair, and insisted Bernie was not to say a word to anyone on the ward about this.  
Not one word.  
To anyone.  
Especially not to Fletch.  
Sainsbury's trolleys were much easier to manage than the back seat of the car, but Serena left it Bernie to sort out and push along after her, with the blonde keeping an eye on what was going into the trolley and asking wether they really needed it. Bernie loved her girlfriend to the moon and back, but Serena did have this unforgiving knack of picking things up that they would never, ever need, and insisting that they were completely necessary purchases. Alice had nodded off on the journey there, and the trauma surgeon was doing her absolute best to keep her asleep whilst simultaneously debating every item that Serena picked up.  
"Cloth nappies? Not a chance, put them back." Bernie said firmly, reaching for a 12 pack of Sainsbury's own brand instead.   
"Oh not own brand Bernie, come on. I'm sure we can treat her while she's with us."  
Bernie raised an eyebrow at the price.  
"They're £6 dearer love and do the same job."  
"But Pampers have little giraffes on them, look!" Putting on her best doe eyes, the brunette held up a pack of Pampers with an admittedly rather cute giraffe on the front. Doing that double eye-flutter that always wins her over, especially when it comes to deciding who leads in theatre, Bernie groaned slightly and begrudgingly shoved a pack of Pampers into the basket.  
"You can buy the next takeaway." She muttered, smiling ever so slightly through her grumpy facade. That small glimmer soon disappeared however, when her girlfriend picked up a box of baby rusks and went to put them in the trolley.  
"Nope, she doesn't even have teeth yet."  
"She has one!" Serena protests indignantly. "Well it's coming through but that still counts you know. Anyway they're actually rather nice. They stay."  
"They're completely unnecessary!"  
"They are not!"  
"No Serena!"  
"No Serena!" The brunette imitated her girlfriend with a roll of the eyes, before putting the box back on the shelf. She got a pack of 4 bottles and gestured with them wildly.  
"Too unnecessary for you Ms Wolfe?"  
"Not at all Ms Campbell." She replied sweetly, choosing to stick her tongue out at Serena's back when she crossed the aisle to get a suitable tub of powdered milk. This triggered a giggle from the seat in front of her. Alice had woken up and was grinning at Bernie's animated face.  
"Oh the one we need is out of stock. I'll just go find someone who works here to find us some more." Serena said, nodding in the direction of the customer service desk.  
"Alright, we'll hover here until you get back. Maybe we can mess about with some toys." Bernie winked at the baby before watching her girlfriend's figure disappear from sight. She pushed the trolley over to the toys at the end of the aisle, and picked up a ring the size of her hand. It was split into four segments: one that rattled, one chewable, one that crinkled and one made out of soft cloth.  
"Oh they're great for keeping them amused, especially on long car journeys. My James used to mess with his for hours."  
Bernie turned around and realised the voice was speaking to her. It belonged to a woman in her early twenties with long brown hair, and a bright youthful face that seemed to radiate happiness. Her crystal blue eyes kept glancing to the child sat in her own trolley, a boy with curly blonde locks around the age of five, who was sat watching a video on an iPad. When Bernie didn't respond, she spoke again.  
"Though obviously he grew out of his years ago." She laughed, moving to peep into the seat partly concealed by Bernie's torso.  
"Oh she's gorgeous! Just look at those rosy cheeks... I'd love a girl, but I don't think my husband would be able to cope! Men." She nodded to a man stood talking to a shop attendant in the isle ahead of them and rolled her eyes, grinning. "He thinks he's so macho. What's her name?"  
"Alice." Bernie smiled, letting the baby grasp her index finger. "And my partner and I agree, she is a looker, especially with those irresistible eyes. I'm Bernie."   
The army medic outstretched her hand and the younger woman shook it enthusiastically.  
"Melanie. And my husbands Steve." She smiled as he approached, going to tickle James still sat engrossed in his video.   
"My partner is around somewhere, gone to hassle some poor attendant about their lack of formula milk."  
"Haha, stressy type is he?"  
"She's not so much stressy, more she-knows-exactly-what-she-wants." Bernie grimaced and Melanie looked taken aback.  
"Oh gosh I'm so sorry, I just assumed she was-"   
"If one does not ask, one does not receive!" Melanie was cut short by the return of Serena, triumphantly holding a tub of powdered milk. "Honestly, the staff are useless in this place."  
"I've just been chatting to Melanie here, darling-" Bernie said awkwardly, and it was only then that Serena noticed the other woman.  
"Oh I'm so sorry, Melanie was it? I've not done this baby thing for a good 30 years or so now, got to make sure we get everything right, apologies for the rudeness. I'm Serena."  
They shook hands and Melanie paused, glancing between them both to Alice.  
"So, what made you want to raise a child again after so long? I imagine it's bit of a shock to the system."  
Bernie was ever so slightly surprised. In all honesty she'd been expecting a "how have you had a baby if you're both women?" or the classic "so who is the biological mum?".   
"Oh we're not-" Serena began, before Bernie took over.  
"-we're not really sure, we just... one day decided to adopt."  
Ignoring the questioning looks from Serena, they finished their conversation with the exchanging of phone numbers and promise of a coffee sometime, before walking off in opposite directions. Bernie and Serena didn't say a word to each other as they entered the wine isle, until the brunette just stopped and looked at her partner.  
"We just one day decided to adopt?" She said slowly, raising an eyebrow as she gently placed two bottles of Shiraz in the bottom of the trolley. Bernie just shrugged, the corners of her lips twitching.  
"I guess I just...liked the thought of us with a child. Together." She said it almost shyly, like it was the most ridiculous idea in the world. "But it was also easier than explaining the situation." She said, covering it up quickly. "Obviously."  
"Oh obviously." Serena said knowingly, unable to stop her own mouth twitching as they made their way towards the checkouts. Before pulling up alongside one, Serena kissed Bernie's cheek.  
"Let's just see how today pans out first shall we?" She whispered in her ear, before unloading the shopping onto the trolley like nothing had happened.


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update is so late! They will be quite random- pre warning!

As soon as Serena had given Alice her first bottle, and received a large burp in thanks, the baby fell straight asleep. It was almost miraculous- one moment she was giggling as Serena rubbed her back, gently patting it every so often, then the next minute she was nestled into the crook of the woman's arm breathing softly.  
Whilst Alice was being fed, Bernie had taken it upon herself to unpack the rest of the shopping. To any ordinary house, this would have been a simple operation; take the stuff out of the bags and stick them in cupboards. But Bernie felt an amounting sense of pressure as she desperately searched each cupboard for a copy of the same thing they had bought, not wanting to put anything out of place incase it would lead to the wrath of Jason being unleashed. The two bottles of Shiraz were the only bits of shopping she had no problem with, as they went straight into Serena's liqueur cabinet in the living room.  
Bernie took the clinking bottles in to find Serena sat on the sofa, speaking as angrily as she could down the phone whilst trying to keep Alice asleep.  
"For heaven's sakes are we not allowed one day off together? Actually no, don't even bother answering that as the answer appears to be a big fat no." She hissed, looking up and seeing Bernie look slightly alarmed.  
"Hanssen" Serena mouthed, rolling her eyes. Bernie nodded in reply before slipping the two red wine bottles into the cabinet beside the sofa.  
"Yes, yes- Hanssen I know- Henrik- surely there must be others-"  
Alice suddenly kicked out, catching her foot in the fabric of Serena's over top. The struggle to free it woke her, and she began to cry. Bernie picked her up, with a grateful smile from Serena, and wandered into the kitchen to fetch her the play ring she'd slipped into the trolley in Sainsburys. Even from the back of the kitchen she could hear Serena's every word.  
"Henrik I'm sorry but we really can't today, major incident or not... I understand that... No you don't need to know... That's not my point... Oh for crying out loud, fine. Expect us within the hour. You'd better remember this next time I need a favour."  
All went quiet, and Bernie looked down at Alice who was fascinated with her new toy.  
"Something tells me you might be coming into work with us today young lady." She murmured, hearing Serena's padded footsteps coming down the hall.  
"Grab your coat and bag, our overlord has summoned us to the depths of hell." Serena called, looking very frosty as she came into the kitchen to collect her car keys. "Why Matteo and Nina couldn't go in is beyond me, it's not like redecorating their house is of massive importance compared to an 8 car pile up on the motorway."  
"Jesus, 8?" Bernie said in surprise.  
"Oh-Ho, that's nothing- one of the 8 was a school minibus full of French children, and they're all on their way into Holby. I pity Connie and Charlie down in the ED today."  
"Me too. And us, this was out first day off together in months. And on top of that- what's the plan with Alice? We can hardly feed her with one hand and perform a trauma laparotomy with the other!"  
"I'm sure there'll be a space in the crèche. Come on, I told Henrik we'd be there within the hour and we've still got to sort out that dratted car seat."  
*****  
After reaching the hospital and depositing Alice in the crèche, the two AAU leads dashed up to their ward and were immediately thrown into the midst of the action.  
"This is Delphine, 13, one of the school kids on the bus. Suspected pneumothorax and dislocated shoulder. She's also anaemic and asthmatic." Fletch began to reel off her vitals before leaving her with Serena and doing the same for Bernie in the next bed.  
An hour had passed before the couple even had chance to breathe, never mind think about their current house guest. But when the phone rang and Fletch answered, Bernie was woken from her trauma-filled daze. She was inputting some information into the nurses station computer when she heard her name being mentioned.  
"I think you're mistaken mate, Bernie doesn't have a baby daughter- Cartwright isn't even her last name! Seriously she's way too old to have an 8 month old there's gotta be some kind of mix up-"  
"Alright Fletch." Bernie snapped, taking the phone. "Berenice Wolfe, how may I help."  
"Ms Wolfe? It's Marian in the crèche downstairs. We're having to close early due to staff illness, just one of those unforeseen circumstances I'm afraid. You have about 15 minutes to come collect Alice."  
"What? Is this a joke?"  
"I-I'm um, I'm afraid not. We are really sorry for the inconvenience-"  
"Lord, sorry, I didn't mean to snap, it's just rather busy up here and I'm not meant to be in in the first place. It's okay, I'll send someone to collect her now. Thank you for letting me know."  
Bernie put the phone down and looked at Fletch, who looked slightly awkwardly back at her.  
"1, she is not our daughter, we're her current guardians. 2, please do not make presumptions about my life again nurse Fletcher, I don't appreciate it. 3, I will forgive your frankly rather rude comment about my age if you go collect her from the crèche for me, I'm up to my elbows in patients and can't be spared right now."  
"Consider it my apology, major." The nurse grinned and saluted before heading towards the doors to the staircase.  
""Way too old"?!" Bernie muttered as she watched him go. "Cheeky beggar."  
*****  
Morven caught Fletch just outside the ward as he returned with Alice, cooing and making funny faces into the car seat.  
"Please tell me that's not another of yours." She said, stopping when he reached where she was stood. "Because I can't remember all their names as it is."  
"Nah, you're safe there. She's Alice, Serena and Bernie's apparently. They're her "current guardians"."  
"No way. They've adopted?!" Morven's mouth was a perfect 'O'.  
"Not a clue, Bernie just told me to go collect her from the crèche."  
Together they walked into the staff room and placed the carrier on the table. Alice looked up at them with a wide smile, giggling and flailing her arms and legs about.  
"She's adorable. Like, Princess Charlotte-level adorable. God this is making me broody."  
"Trust me Morven, their cuteness no where near outweighs the effort needed to look after them. The last time I remember not feeling tired was back in 2003 just before Evie was born. Caffeine has been my best friend ever since."  
Morven looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You're proper not selling it."  
Fletch winked back at her. "I know. Trying to save you from yourself. No need to thank me."  
At this point the door opened behind them and the steely voice of Serena Campbell pierced the room.  
"Don't you two have catheters to change or something? Come on, hop to it."  
The pair glanced at each other before giving Serena a quick smile and leaving the room. Bernie followed her girlfriend inside.  
"Have you heard anything from social services yet? It's nearing 5 o clock."  
Serena shook her head, letting Alice grab one of her fingers and jerk it about.  
"Nothing on my mobile, and I didn't give them any other number. I'll keep it on me just in case. What did Fletch say when he found out?"  
"Thought it was all a misunderstanding, tried to tell Marian that I was "way too old to have an 8 month old"."  
Serena spluttered. "Really?!"  
"Yeah, cheeky git. Said I'd forgive him if he went and collected her for me though."  
"Well he's not wrong love, even if he was a bit blunt about it..." Serena's voice trailed off as she snaked a hand around Bernie's waist. "You are too old for children now."  
"I know." Bernie sighed, "I just don't like to be reminded of it, that's all. Makes me think of all the lost years with my kids. I never got to see their first steps, or see them say their first word, or take them to school in the morning like other mums."  
Serena could sense Bernie's mood dropping.  
"If it's any consolation, I didn't see much of my kids growing up either. I was always here, or at work conferences overseas or out at functions trying to secure funding. But your kids still love you Bernie. As do I." She added, watching Bernie's lips curl into a smile before kissing them deeply. Now it was the blonde's turn to snake her hand around Serena's waist, and together they stayed in a comfortable embrace until someone cleared their throat from the doorway behind them.  
The couple sprang apart to find Hanssen observing the ceiling, apparently deep in thought.  
"I must remember to call in the electrician to fix that light bulb." He muttered. Serena looked to Bernie and rolled her eyes.  
"Yes Henrik, how may we be of assistance?"  
"Ms Campbell, yes, I was hoping for a report on today's proceedings. Can I have it on my desk by the end of the day please?"  
"Of course."  
"Thank you. Ms Wolfe." He nodded to the surgeon by the table and left. Serena paused, then without warning, dashed after him.  
"Serena?" Bernie called, confused. Her partner returned 5 minutes later with the CEO by her side.  
"Our new babysitter." Serena grinned. "If we have to come in on our day off the least he can do is look after Alice; isn't that right Henrik?"  
"Indeed." He replied, slightly apprehensive as Bernie handed him the car seat and accompanying baby bag. Alice immediately began to cry.  
"Good luck." Serena smiled sweetly, rubbing Hanssen's arm before taking Bernie's and steering her away before Henrik could change his mind.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a little rusty so I hope this was okay! I'd love to know your thoughts, if you want it to be carried on, any ideas etc! -Sophie :)


End file.
